New Beer Sunday (week 524)

Holy spring ahead, way to get it going early @cavedave !!! Guess that means chug my coffee and start sipping beer !!!!

 

Early, indeed! Cavedave must be inspired by Daylight Saving Time. Good excuse to get this NBS going early!

 

I'm headed out this beautiful sunny morning here in NH to meet a couple other BA's for an IP trade hopefully will be back to make my NBS post later this afternoon.

Cheers to all

 

DST has moved all (or most) of us an hour ahead, but I'm happy to see NBS is more than keeping up.

What will this new creature bring?


Inky shadows—unfathomable depths. (...)





Obviously Backwoods Bastard would be a reference point, but this beast is setting all its own benchmarks. Huge bourbon bourbon bourbon bouquet, but it goes deeper. Chocolate and dark coffee, rich and chewy, support the well-moderated sweetness. Vanilla and bourbon are the overtones, some sticky dates come clear too, but the flavours keep swirling and evolving, parading forth new complexity every sip. A real treat.

 

Morning =) Dave, eloquent and lovely. Cheers to you and to all of you this New Beer Sunday.

 

Good morning Jane and Dave, I'll return in a few hours with a review.

 

Good morning everyone! The sun also rises here in NW PA. We were driving west on I-80 yesterday into a snowstorm so I decided to stop at Sharon and check out some lights. When we came back out, the snow was over so I drove on to Vintage Estates in Boardman, OH, to restock on beer. I'll swear that every time I go there they have more tables and less bottles. They had received 12, count 'em, 12, bottles of Rogue Sriracha stout which, of course, were gone so no luck there but reading the reviews on BA it doesn't look like I missed anything. Anyway, the sun is bouncing off the glazed snow piles around here so it might be another scorcher - may hit the high thirties again today. Time to check out the AC.

Todays new beer is Old Dominion's Morning Glory Expresso Stout:



This is an example of one-and-done for me - glad I tried it but won't be repeating the experience. Not that it's bad - it's just not very good. I last bought Old Dominion beer in 2005 when they were in Ashburn, VA. I though the beer was generally mediocre then and haven't purchased any more until yesterday. The coffee force is weak with this one - more latte than expresso.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/402/87423/?ba=Ozzylizard

 

I've been waiting to crack this beer open for some time, so what better reason to do it than on a Sunday morning where Spring is in the air?

Prairie Bomb! looks beautiful in the glass. It's as dark as dirty motor oil and that frothy mocha cap hangs around for awhile until eventually disappearing.

As I stick my nose in this, I'm hit with two delicuous aromas: dark chocolate and ancho chilis. It is an absolutely perfect balance between the two. I had to look for it but somewhere hidden underneath is a very faint dab of vanilla.

The taste is as good or better than the smell. The beer starts out with a lot of roasted malt and dark roasted coffee beans before opening up to a wholesome amount of rich dark chocolate, not without a chalky cocoa component. I'm about half-way through this beer as I type this and the ancho chilis have tamed down a bit and the vanilla has emerged more -- perhaps I got used to the peppery heat, but it's constantly there and not in a bad way.

The mouthfeel is smooth and leaves a chalky aftertaste. The 13% ABV as stated on the bottle is undetectable. Amazing.

Overall -- I rated this 4.65 which is good for +3.6% rDev. Anytime I get within 5% rDev I feel pretty accurate with how the BA community feels. This is a great beer. I paid $7 for it which is something I never ever do for a 12 oz. beer, but it was worth every penny.

I've gotten back into Radiohead recently -- still my all-time favorite band. In 2008 I took my wife to Ireland to see them live at Malahide Castle. Here's one of my favorite live versions of You. Cheers!

 

Cheers you all and happy new beer sunday. This week was long and very wintry. Lots of cold and snow to make it seem like spring would never arrive. Just then I saw Saranac's spring case in the local store. Lovely case. It had their pale which I like, a red ipa, white prism which was especially good this year and my new beer for today .. . Goat Rodeo. Pale Bock is what they call it and it's a maibock, helles bock. Oh it is just what the doctor ordered.

Cheers everyone . New American Pale Bock Sunday



4.01/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a handsome amber yellow gold. Adorned with a creamy head of off white foam this beer is a real looker. Good clarity allows it to shine. Nose is pristine A light sweet malt, a touch of white bread crust. No hops presence. No fruity esters. Taste is honey and white bread. Soft and creamy, crisp and breaddy. Light bit of dms from pils malt. Malty and a touch rich. No diacetyl. Crisp clean finish with a light taste of mineral and sweet hops herbal. A kiss from a bit of spice. Finishes smooth, a touch sweet with a malty resonance. Dry and a perfect bite from carbonation.

Very enjoyable and I would drink pints .

 

Unpacking brews from the incredible Olde Hickory Omega Point release this weekend - world class brew & share. First time popping this brew and yes, it is as sweet as the reviews claim, it's also fruit forward and we're enjoying sipping and lounging. Cheers.

 

Freigeist Ottekolong – Unfiltered Kolsch

The Germans are known for their precision and there is a document called the Kolsch Konvention which defines a Kolsch beer. One of the characteristics necessary for a beer to be called a Kolsch beer is that it be filtered. It turns out that there is a German name for an unfiltered Kolsch beer and in the dialect spoken in Koln (Cologne) that word is Wieß which translates to “white”. I have never had a beer that was labeled with Wieß but it seems to me that the Freigeist Ottekolong fits that bill.

The literal translation for Freigeist is “free spirit” and the brewer of Freigeist, Sebastian Sauer, seems to indeed be a free spirit. On the label of this beer it states:

“Freigeist is an experimental offshoot of Cologne’s revolutionary small brewery, Braustelle. Here we strive to break the chains of industrial brewing by reviving and updating, Germany’s unique, historical beers.

Rich, hoppy and compex, Ottekolong (“Eau de Cologne”) Kölsch is a traditional, unfiltered version of the city’s local specialty.”

Well, this beer is not traditional within the context of the Kolsch Konvention but it seems to be traditional in the sense of being a Wieß style beer. Kudos to Sebastian Sauer for keeping the Wieß style alive!!

Enough yammering, time for some drinking.

Poured into a 0.4 l stang glass.

Appearance:

A hazy golden color with a billowy white head. Nice lacing as the beer is consumed.

Aroma:

Nice nose on this. Bready maltiness with a moderate sweetness. Pithy lemony fruitiness. Some qualities of hay.

Taste:

Flavor follows the nose. Bready malts with nice neutral sweetness. Lemon rind and hay. Really tasty!

Mouthfeel

Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Creamy and very smooth.

Overall

A very tasty Kolsch type beer. I will be buying this beer again!



I was impressed by this beer. To the best of my recollection this is the first commercially produced bottled Wieß beer that I had*. I do regularly homebrew my own Kolsch beers and since as a homebrewer I do not filter my beers I suppose I technically produce a Wieß beer. My homebrewed Kolsch beers are more akin to a ‘regular’ Kolsch since through extended lagering they are brilliantly clear and have more of a crisp finish.

Based upon the color of this beer and flavor characteristics I would be willing to bet that Schill Kolsch Malt was used in brewing this beer.

My sole complaint is that there are no bottling dates on this bottle. My general rule is to never purchase imported beers that have no dates; I made an exception in this purchase since it was a single bottle purchase.

Cheers to Sebastian Sauer (Freigeist)!





* I have had Sunner Unfiltered Kolsch on tap before and I greatly enjoyed that beer as well. The bottled version of this beer is labeled as Sunner Kellerbier.

 

3.63/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress has a thin, cream-colored head, a semi-clear, orange appearance, lots of tan sediment chunks all about, and no lacing left behind. The aroma is of a spiced broom and sugary syrup. Taste is of a strongly-, but not overly-, spiced pumpkin pie, with some maple sweetness. No alcohol shows itself. Mouthfeel is medium, and Captain Pumpkin’s Maple Mistress finishes sweet, wet, and enjoyable.



RJT

 

Hey, there, ya early-risin' imbibers of beer...

Great weekend of new beer action, including today's entrant, Bell's Black Note Stout 2014

But lemme catch ya up on some stuff from earlier this weekend...

Got a bunch of new beers from @niner99 on Friday...

So one more big thank you to him for helping keep my palate sharp and my liver afloat...

You can check out my reviews by clicking the links - these were all winners...

Hop JuJu - crushingly good DIPA action; Woodmaster - an Imperial brown ale featuring pecans and maple syrup; and BBA Pt5 - one of my tops among BBA stouts, maintaining a lush feel to accompany a battery of classic BB stout flavors...

Additionally, Boulevard Brewing from KC arrived in NY this week...

While I've already sampled and reviewed their Calling IPA, I've saved Tank 7 and the BB Quad for later today...

But anyway, I was a little concerned about having the Black Note after two other incredible bourbon barrel stouts...

...and one new bourbon barrel porter, Arcadia's Barrel Aged Shipwreck Porter (favorite porter to-date, BTW)

But my fears were unfounded...

The Black Note Stout stands tall among all competition...

Full-bodied, rich in bourbon flavors, smooth as silk, mellow with bittersweet chocolate notes and vanilla undertones; hints of molasses and bright notes of barrel wood and maybe just a tiny hint of char on the finish... a superior stout...

Big weekend for Steeler Nation, as three of our heroes celebrated their birthdays these past two days: yesterday Franco Harris and Lynn Swann, Hall-of-Famers and teammates on four Super Bowl teams during the 70's, when our dynasty was strongest; and today, a more contemporary Steeler, Hines Ward, member of our two Super Bowl-winning teams in the 2000's and our all-time greatest receiver - catching, scoring, yard-gaining, and blocking...

Cheers, Steeler Nation - let's hope for a good showing in 2015...

Meanwhile, snow from past week getting a little daytime melting before the nightly re-freeze - we probably saw our last real snow this past Thursday. The cold air feels balmy after some really frigid days; got the windows open, listening to...


Cheers, NBS...

 

Good Morning Dave, Maria, and all you Enthusiasts of Zymurgical Zeitgeist. I love the proactive start, but alas am not a fan of changing the clocks.
Here in southern California, we have gone from cold by our standards (that’s why the rest of the nation makes fun of us) to breaking heat records. All within a week.
I started late last night, and it carried me into the AM, for this one.

Valiant Brewing’s Alpha Drive DIPA

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/30687/110430/

look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a beautiful orange meets copper pushing a frothy tan head of foam that trails off to a loosely packed layer skimming the surface.
Scents of floral citrus and piney hops leap forward followed by a lite malt aroma.
Taste begins citrusy with some tropical fruit leanings. Pineapple? Yet the piney comes through gently on the back. A bit resiny as well. Quite a pleasing mix.
Finish is more piney and resiny with the citrus notes brining a dryness to the finish.
Mouthfeel is a tad thinner than I prefer. All in all, a respectable DIPA.

Cheers All

 

It seems another week has come and gone. These things happen I suppose. I have two specific brews set aside for the festivities on this auspicious day, and they share the common bond of seemingly random local anniversary collaborations. The first entry in this thematic approach to the day is Bottleworks 16th anniversary; a baltic porter brewed by RAM restaurant/brewing and aged in Copperworks Distilling gin barrels. There's a lot to unpack there, and that's before even getting into the beer itself. There was much consternation in the local forums about the choice of style as well as the choice of brewer. RAM is... not widely celebrated, as it were. More of the strip mall chain gastropub than locally celebrated brewmasters (this is speaking specifically to the business and its reputation, not about the brewmasters themselves). Especially considering some of the heavyweights who'd been tapped (no pun intended) for the recent anniversaries (side note: Remaining bottles of that Bruery one are currently $85 on the shelf. For a standard 750ml [or whatever it is] bottle! I'm all for paying a little more for great stuff, but to me that's outrageous. And perfectly poetically appropriate per my experiences/expectations with Bruery stuff in general. But that's a whole another tangent [FWIW the Cascade one was still $35. Which I still find to be above my tolerance point for a bottle of beer, but not quite so egregiously so]).
Add to that the stylistic choices. Baltic porters are not sexy in this day and age of hops and funk (TM called on an alcoholic Parliament cover band), and of all the barrels in which you could age something, gin seems the least... natural/obvious.
In the immortal words of the prophet Earl Simmons: "Fuck what you heard!"

This beer works. The style choices work. The creamier/roastier malts from the porter match the sweeter herbal/fruity notes of the barrel amazingly well. The bitter roastiness catches just enough juniper to make it interesting. Echoing a sentiment expressed in the thread to which I linked above, the appreciation for this one is going to be hindered by the stigma of the words on the label. Bottom line: this is a really good beer.
Plus I got the bonus tie-in of my dog (Porter is her name), and my recent choices for entertainment (some north-eastern european movies/games [both board- and video-. Judge away if you must, but I've got to have something to fill the long empty nights I'm not working!])

I also found out that Bottleworks is very dog friendly! I opted to use walking the pup as an excuse to go pick this up, and when I got there, the gentlemen behind the bar INSISTED I bring her in, then fed her treats as she pulled me from display shelf to cooler, sniffing out all the history the floor has to offer. Seems like a simple solution to the dog walking issue...
The other beer I have specifically planned for DST consumption, and the other link in the 'random local allegiance' continuity is a DIPA brewed by my current favourite brewery celebrating the 125th anniversary of a huge pharmacy* chain that I didn't realize was another local original, Bartell's. That's a lot of years! Anyway, I ought to be back in a bit with that scintillating review, and you might even hear me talk about superheroes in real life (no, not that kind [though at least two of those have Seattle roots!])!

I... don't even know where to begin with this.

Also, a classic.

Cheers, all!!

 

Looks like an awesome lineup of beers @Greywulfken . I'm not much for the NFL nowadays, but when i was a kid, many moons ago, the Steeler's were my team. Loved watching the long and short game of the Steelers with Bradshaw, Swann (man enough to take ballet to improve his game), and Franco Harris. And who doesn't heap massive respect on Mean Joe Green? But I think your beer lineup was equally impressive.

 

Good day to consumers of fine beer everywhere. Spring is slowly starting to appear around here the past couple of days with temperatures finally above freezing. I always welcome the time change, let's spring forward into another NBS!

Another one from Thirsty Dog that has eluded me until last week. I feel fortunate that I scored Wulver and now Siberian Night Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout. Beer gods must be smiling on me lately!

Pours a semi viscous dark brown with a fair amount of tan foam that lingers for a while. A very attractive looking beer out of the gate.

The aroma reveals a wonderful symphony of bourbon, dark cherry, vanilla, chocolate, and wet oak. I'm beginning to feel that I'm in for something real special with this beer!

Flavor begins with smooth bourbon, dark chocolate, cherry, and vanilla. It's like drinking a bourbon infused chocolate covered cherry. A wonderful balance of sophistication where one flavor doesn't take center stage over another.

The mouthfeel is semi thick and oily. There is a slight alcohol bite as expected from a beer of this caliber.

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to try another highly rated beer from Thirsty Dog. I would buy this at every chance, even at the $25.99 a four pack price point around here. It's worth every penny! I place this right up there with Boubon County and Black Note. There are certain aspects of this beer that remind me of both.

With that said, my final rating came out to a 4.81. I was a bit surprised that it's not rated higher.

Time for some brunch after a busy morning of dog walking and such. Scrambled eggs, bacon, salsa, and tamales. Going to fire up the infrared cooker later and enjoy a couple more beers. Have a great day!

 

Another Sunday, Another New Coffee Beer

The sun is shinning, I get an extra hour of daylight now, forecast has 50's in it this week instead of 10's. I can finally see myself sitting on my deck with a Little Sumpin' Extra in my hand.
Anywho…This one arrived from the @SomethingClever distribution warehouse this week.http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27077/87685/?ba=WesMantooth




3.86/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz can, it is what I would call a chestnut/ruby brown. It has a definite red tint to it that is very bright when you hold it up to the light. Opaque with a fairly frothy head that turns into a small ring.

Smells of expresso, vanilla, and oatmeal.

Taste very similar to a Founders Breakfast Stout in regard to the base. Significant roasted oats. The coffee is definitely the expresso type. Sweeter, smoother, and more subtle. The vanilla is good, but is almost too sweet.

I usually expect porters to be a little thinner on the body, but I think this one could be a little thicker even being a lower abv. Just as big of a knock for me in this department is the carbonation. It seems high. Gives it a crisp, sparling feel.

Overall, smells and tastes very good. The sweetness could be more balanced. Could use some work on the body.

Feels like a classic rock Sunday. Check out Billy working the ax

I have seen Uncle Ted in person many times. Always a 3 person band that sounds like 6

 

Hello BA faith full and NBS crew! It's a beautiful and fantastic morning to try out a couple of new beers in So. WI today. Last weekend it was still frigid , but Spring is making a big push this week. Clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine have me in the mood today and the week is only going to get warmer. It is a rare treat for WI to have warm weather this early in March! Let's get to the beer!

I've been waiting a while to try this beer, so I'm quite pleased Founders brewed it again. I'm from New Glarus, so I know a good fruit beer and Blushing Monk is exceptional!

Oh yeah, aromas of ripe, fresh raspberries along with jammy notes. Very faint banana and fruit esters mixed with Belgian yeast. It starts off with a huge fresh raspberry flavor that is jam like on the palate. I notice the Belgian yeast, very faint banana and spice, but this is all about the raspberry.

Surprisingly light with lively carbonation given the 9.2% ABV. I do not know of many beers that are this easy to quaff given the high ABV. Yes, this is awesome and worth the price. Looks like Founders made a large amount of it so I hope many get the chance to try it. Highly recommended if you like an excellent fruit beer!